Like a sickness
by pendragon94
Summary: Sookie is terminal and it makes her realize what she wants. Oneshot, complete for now. M for language


Reading the piece of paper for the first time was a shock for me, as I certainly wasn't expecting it. I knew that something wasn't quite right when the dizzy spells started and everything I did seemed to exhaust me, but I had waited longer than I should have to be checked. Even before Dallas I had known something wasn't quite right, but I had done it none the less, holding my head high and trying to mask my emotions to hide the twinges of pain from anyone observing me in the vampire nest.

Inoperable. That was the word my new doctor had used, and even though I'd memorized the paper over the course of the last three days, I still felt I needed this piece of physical proof to stay in my pocket to keep reminding me that this wasn't a long dream.

Sam isn't aware, only knowing that I'd asked for this week off, but I'm sure he'll show up at some point sticking that nose where he thinks it belongs. Despite the bullshit he'd been spouting recently, I still couldn't help but smile when thinking of him, my friend.

The money Eric had given me from Dallas was like a miracle, and my thoughts are bitter for a second as I consider the amount I'd already paid to have the driveway redone. I probably wouldn't even be able to drive on it, since I no longer had the reaction time while driving that I used to. That had been apparent when I'd smashed into a deer two nights prior, despite seeing it with plenty of time to swerve as I had always done. A phone call to Doctor Higgins had confirmed it, my impaired reflexes, and he'd told me that he would now be filing to have my license changed to day driving only until it had to be taken completely away for my own safety. For a while at least, I would remain independent, until the remainder of my money ran out. I would have to inform Sam soon that I would no longer be working for him.

I smile again, thinking of Jason who had been kind enough to swap me his truck while he worked on my car, and I know that as soon as I tell him he won't be happy in the slightest but what can he do? Driving to Fangtasia right now seems almost like the stupidest thing I could do, but I know that leaving Merlotte's means I still need to make money somehow. My telepathy was quite useful, now that I considered it, since I was sure Eric could come up with something for me to do. If it came down to it, I could always sell the blood that seemed to enthrall the vampires.

Ten dollars a sip, I muse to myself darkly, before shaking those thoughts away and pulling into the Fangtasia parking lot. It's still slightly daytime, and I imagine that Jason will not be pleased with having to come get me and his truck long after sunset, but I know that he wouldn't bring me here if I asked. Not to mention that I would then have to explain to him why I couldn't drive myself. My excuse tonight would be drinking, but that wouldn't always work, and I am still trying to think of ways to somehow tell him.

It's almost an hour to sunset, so I leave the truck parked and go next door across the street to a clothing boutique. Everything is a bit off from my tastes, but I do find a few nice things, and I find that I no longer care about the cost as I check out at the register. I don't even realize how taxing it is to walk all the way back with my bags until I get back into the truck completely out of breath. It's all I can do to lug the sacks into the backseat before pulling myself laboriously back up into the cab behind the steering wheel. As soon as the sun starts to sink, cars start pulling in, all of them filled with fangbangers. My telepathy seems to be the only thing that is so far unaffected by my illness, and I am grateful for that, since it's the only way I have to do something with myself.

When the door opens half an hour after sunset, I'm relieved to see that it is Pam and not someone who would probably make me wait in line. Making sure Jason's truck is locked up, I drop the keys in my purse and do my best to put on my act as I walk towards the entrance. The throng of people waiting in line shoot me daggers and scathing remarks as Pam lets me in without a word, although I don't miss the odd look on her face. Seeing that Eric has yet to make it onto the stage, and feeling his void in his office, I go to the bar and order a Gin and Tonic from the vampire woman who must have replaced Longshadow.

Two drinks in and my nerves are gone, when out of nowhere the excitement in the crowd seems to ramp up and I see through the thoughts that it is because Eric's office door is open down the hallway. Many are trying to covertly be the first ones to see him for the night, and I just ignore their mental fuss as I block them off and return to my drink. After a few minutes he does in fact emerge, stepping from the hallway with the usual indifferent/pissed off look on his face, and he takes a seat at his throne without even looking towards the bar. There's a mirror behind the liquor bottles, letting me look at him as he pulls his cell phone from his pocket and immediately glues his eyes to the screen. Chuckling silently, I finish my third drink and pull out a notepad from my purse before dropping my shields and starting to write. After I've filled the entire page in neat writing, I fold up the paper neatly and flick my hand towards the bartender.

"Take this up to Eric."

"Why should I?" Her voice is icy, and I realize that she would have once intimidated me with the challenging tone, but I no longer care as I'll end up dead soon enough anyway.

"Because Godric." The word strikes a chord of course, proving to her that what I say does in fact matter, and she's gone the second after her eyes widen.

Watching in the mirror wordlessly, I see the annoyed look on Eric's face as he takes the paper and unfolds it to start reading. He's done faster than I could ever read, and I wait for him to get to the last line.

 _I quit Merlotte's._

His eyes bore into mine in the mirror as he finds me at the bar, and even though nothing physical gives it away, I can sort of sense that he is surprised. Rising from his chair, there are excited whispers in the minds of several as they think he is choosing someone, and I stand when he glances at me directly to follow him down the hallways.

"Why the change of heart?" He asks, and I shrug, settling in the chair across from his desk.

"I live in a big house with a big repair bill. It took half the money from Dallas just to fix my driveway, and the other half isn't going to last long since I've decided to quit Merlotte's." There is a different context in my mind, as I'm trying to be as truthful as I can, but I don't want him to know my circumstances. "The worlds never been fair to me, so why should I be overly fair to it? Those people know what they are doing, especially the ones who are doing things that are wrong, so the way I see it they've made their choice." I've still not replaced my shields, but I find that I am easily able to ignore the chattering voices while I'm just listening for key words and vibes. "Number thirty two is getting ready to leave."

"Just last names?" He arches an eyebrow, and I smile, not surprised that he noticed.

"I figured you could make Pam utilize her vault." Smirking, he doesn't move or speak when she appears a few seconds later, snatching the paper from his hands.

"Have them taken shortly after they leave of their own accord. The drainers are to be taken now." She nods, flashing me a pleased look.

"Pam." I stop her just as she goes to leave. "In Dallas I met a lot of people who'd been glamoured. I've found that if you make it more of a suggestion, like they thought whatever themselves, it's much more effective and harder for other vampires to figure out."

"You _are_ useful." She grins, and is gone a second later as Eric is staring me down.

"What's happened to you?" He asks, and it's like it's hitting me all over again in only a second.

I visit the doctor, go home with that piece of paper which I still have in my pocket, and then there's a bright light as soon as I'd stepped in the door.

Finding myself back in the chair in the present, I see that it's been no more than a second as I relived everything, and decide to just tell him part of it to throw him off. "I found out what I am." I say teasingly.

"Which is?" The pressing makes me smile as I give my next answer.

"A hybrid of human and… something else."

I know, and he can tell, which makes his frustrated look all the more amusing as he stares me down. "As your sole potential employer, I find that this is something I need to know. I would also remind you that I am indeed able to force it out of you, if necessary." He's bluffing, I can tell, but what I don't know is _how_ I can tell. It's like he's got a poker tell, and I've subconsciously noticed it. His second statement makes me smile though, as I recall that long first night, when I'd walked in the front door and Niall had appeared before me. The events following had changed my entire outlook, as well as all of the plans I had been making on the flight home from Texas.

"I'm a fairy." I say quietly, bluntly, and he seems to freeze in place.

"They are all dead."

Smiling slightly, I shake my head. "Another plane of existence actually. They all moved out after the war to rebuild themselves, and since there were barely any left, everyone assumed they just died out. Granddaddy Niall wanted me to go home with him, but I didn't want to, so I was able to stay here. He'll probably come visit you when he learns what I'm doing." When he'd learned of my sickness, he had immediately tried to convince me to leave to be seen by healers, but I had refused after he'd explained the different ways time moved.

"Which is?" He had looked surprised when I said the name Niall, but now he seems to have gotten past that.

"Switching to nights, since I plan to work for you." As it had been explained, my telepathy was directly linked to my light, and since it was a human ailment effecting me it completely left those abilities untouched. Even if I wound up in a wheelchair from weakness, my telepathy wouldn't fail me up to the end.

"What are your terms, with working for me?" I'm caught off guard, surprised that he would ask, and he misinterprets my puzzled expression. "What are you unwilling to do?" He clarifies, and I laugh.

"Oh I know what you are asking, I'm just surprised you care." Shifting in his seat, he looks almost uncomfortable with what I said.

"If you are to work here, then I need to be able to set boundaries with my other employees. You cannot be glamoured, and I will need to issue several orders to keep you unbothered by the vampires of the area once you become known." He looks serious as he talks about my safety.

"I'm not going to let you keep me in a glass case." I say jokingly, and he slowly gets less tense as he evaluates how light hearted I'm being.

"Be that as it may, you still must be protected."

"When was the last time you saw me?"

"Four days, seven hours." He responds instantly, and then gives me a questioning look.

Sighing, I look at his desk as I speak. "A lot can happen in that amount of time." Snapping my fingers, he's surprised when his laptop closes itself, and then papers and things all straighten themselves one at a time across his desk. "Telekinesis is something else I can do. Haven't tried it on people or big stuff yet." Flicking my eyes to the shelf, he looks slightly unsure when a wooden stake jumps from its hiding place to imbed itself several inches into the wall behind him. "Don't think I'll need to if I'm smart."

"You have definitely changed." He mutters, pulling the stake from the drywall and looking at the damage before glancing at me almost hesitantly.

"Take it from my pay. Which we have yet to discuss." I remind him, and he nods, tossing the stake back onto the shelf before sitting down. "Eight hundred a week, salary, renewed every six months?" I start, having thought this seemed fair, and he chuckles.

"Three thousand a week, salary with benefits, renewed yearly." He says with finality, and opens his computer to start typing a second later as I gape at him.

"Don't you think that's a little… ridiculous?" Trying to find the right word proves to be difficult.

"I suppose you are probably right. Five thousand." The smirk on his face makes me want to smack it off, but I rein in my temper and decide not to instigate him further into throwing more money at me.

"Six month renewal." I say a second later, and he frowns, looking up at me.

"Planning on quitting so soon?" He questions, and it's everything I can do not to cringe, keeping my face as pleasant as possible.

"You never know." I try to sound joking, and he just smirks for a second before turning back to the computer. A few minutes later his printer is going to work, and a large stack of pages is fastened together by his stapler before he sits it in front of me on the wood top of his desk. He stands over me, showing me where to sign and pointing out different things. The majority of the text is legal jargon which he explained is there to help keep me from being picked up and sold to the highest bidding vampire. "No questions?" He asks, surprised when it's done and I'm quiet, the contract being dropped into his desk drawer a second later.

"When exactly do I need to be here?"

"Minimum of three hours on three nights a week, but you can always come in more if you just want to haunt the place. Drinks are on the house, and you're expected to act like you're only a patron. You can make a list, and hand it off to Pam when you leave since she's normally the bartender, not Victoria."

"Victoria?"

"She's the bartender tonight." Thinking of which, I decide I could use another drink, and stand to go get one before he grabs my arm suddenly.

"Since the contract starts you today, you'll need to come in tomorrow and Saturday to meet the terms for the week. We're closed on Sunday." His grin is sly, and I roll my eyes.

"Yes, I was aware. I'm going to go get a drink and sit at the bar while I'm scribbling my Crazy Sookie stuff." I joke, leaving him with a partially confused expression as I head out of the room.

A couple of hours later he still hasn't come out of the office, so I hand a short list to Pam as I go out the door head to Jason's truck in the parking lot across the street. Getting into the passenger side, I pull my cell phone out, and lock the doors as I call Jason's phone.

Purposely slurring my words, it only takes a few moments for me to tell him where I am, and he shows up yawning a short while later. Paying the cab for him, I am patient as he gets in and starts up the truck to get us going back to my house. He makes a few joking remarks, mostly about how the roles are usually reversed with us, and the ride is peaceful. It's already after midnight, so he goes off to the guest room to crash as I get into the shower and start wondering about how I will handle going to and from work.

I wake before Jason the next day, slowly but steadily fixing a large breakfast which is done just when he comes trudging down the stairs. "Now this seems more normal. You look like you're the one with a hangover and I feel fine." He grins, rubbing the sleep from his eyes before he plops down at the table.

About half way through, I finally work up the nerve, and start telling him.

He takes it better than I thought he would, silently crying for several minutes while he slowly eats and staring off into space for a while before speaking. "What are you gonna do?" The question he finally asks catches me off guard, as I hadn't even expected him to be so calm.

Baring up, I take to being as honest as I can. "I really like Eric." I admit, and he's definitely surprised, his mouth falling open for a minute. "He acts like he's always so cold, but when we were in Dallas his maker almost killed himself. He wanted to meet the sun, and I convinced him not to after Eric had already left the rooftop of the hotel. You should have seen his face… I saw a different side of him. When I think over everything, it seems like everything he has done was to protect me, and he's never lied to me. Even Bill lied to me, all the time apparently."

"Yeah, what 'appened to Bill? You wouldn't say nothin' about him when I picked you up at the airport." He continues eating, seeming to be coming back to himself from the shock of learning about my limited human life left.

"Instead of being there when I needed him, he went running off with his maker. Then when I was in my hotel room, I heard one of the cleaning ladies thinking about how a coworker of hers had called him a procurer. I met a woman named Isabelle, she was a vampire, and my clothes got ruined at one point so she helped me with a new outfit after it was all over." I leave out the bombing so as not to cause him any more mental stress today. "I asked her about what a procurer was, and she told me it was Bill's job to obtain rare or unusually good tasting humans to live in the queen's court as donors. They aren't always willing."

"So he wanted to take you off to some castle or some shit and lock you in?" He says with an unhappy look.

"Yes. So I will no longer be seeing Bill if he shows back up." Jason nods, satisfied with that and several more pieces of bacon.

"So what about this Eric thing?" He asks after a while, seeming to remember what got us on the topic of Bill.

"Well I am going to be working for him for a while, and I want you to understand that if I decide I want to be with him, I will eventually be a vampire. Eric has always wanted me, so I'm sure he'll want to turn me which is really the only chance I would have, and I couldn't trust anyone but Eric to have that control over me anyway. I haven't told him yet, he'll be much too excited about turning me, and I don't want you to tell anyone either. At all." He nods, giving me his 'serious face' as he mentally calls it, and I smile as I eat across from him. "There's something else."

"There's more?" He says, looking at me in slight dismay.

"Just that, if you ever have kids, they could be like me. Telepathic."

"Oh I already knew, since Gran once told me that she thought Granddaddy Earl was like you, and he just never admitted it. Took me a while to understand why she told me that, but then I saw that picture of you and granddaddy in the orchard, and I realized she meant that my kids might be able to read minds." Broadcasting loudly, he shows me the memory of her and him talking several years ago around the time the vampires revealed themselves. He seems almost shy when he says the next thing. "It's kinda why I haven't thought about settling down, and I always make sure to use protection no matter how drunk I get. If I have kids, I don't want their momma to be like ours, I'll find a real nice girl first."

"That's actually… really thoughtful, Jason. I'm really proud of you." His grin is wide, and he takes his dishes to the sink to rinse them while I start clearing the rest of the table.

"Wait, do you know why you can hear people's thoughts?" Thinking hard about whether or not to tell him, I finally nod.

"Yes. But it shouldn't ever effect you. Jason, no matter what happens, I am going to be leaving either permanently or for I don't know how long when I'm turned. You aren't involved in any supernatural stuff, and in all honesty you're safer that way, especially if you don't know too many details. If you ever have kids with my abilities I'll tell you everything though."

He looks like he's concentrating as he surprises me and starts cleaning all of the dishes. "I can understand that." His voice is solemn, but he turns and gives me an assured nod.

"Do you want to move in here?" I ask a second later and he stops short at first.

"What?" He's surprised, almost dropping the dish he was just rinsing off.

"I'm going to keep having this placed fixed up, since Eric is paying me way more than he should, and I was thinking of getting an apartment or something in Shreveport so I can get to work easier." I'd considered moving to a different area before, but now I finally had the push I needed.

"You sure you want to leave here?" Looking around, he seems to be assessing things that need fixed.

"Yeah. I also figured you could rent out your house to someone you know… maybe help Hoyt get out of his mommas house." He laughs, starting to put things away before reaching into the fridge for the milk and drinking it without a glass. "Do you want to take me apartment hunting today?"

"Sure." He wasn't expecting the suddenness but grins, and after a bit he's gotten a shower and dressed in the spare clothes he keeps upstairs.

We end up going through several places before finding a nice condo for a good monthly price just a couple of blocks from the bar, which I'm sure Eric will enjoy as I sign the papers and receive a set of keys with a plan to move in immediately. The owner keeps the other side of the building for themselves as a vacation house while they regularly live in a smaller town in California, and they are friendly as they show me the place. Jason is nothing but helpful as he carries things for me when I go through a clothes store to pick up several outfits for Fangtasia. I'm surprised at his self-control when he doesn't say anything as I pick out bras and underwear sets, but I make a point to block his thoughts the whole time especially as the cute young cashier rings me out.

Going through a furniture store, I put several things on order for delivery the next day a few hours before I work, and I only have about an hour when I get home to get ready before Jason takes me and drops me off in Shreveport. Eric is strangely absent the whole night, and I start reading books on my phone as I take a corner table as soon as it's open. Idly jotting things down, I clock in four and a half hours before I am feeling tired and make my way outside, handing Pam the paper at the bar before I go outside to call a cab. I'd ran into the bank next to the furniture store earlier, and I'm glad I got plenty of cash.

Coming inside the farm house, I'm pleasantly surprised to see that Jason has prepared a nice dinner for me. Eating quickly, he helps me to pack up things in my room to take with me since I'm buying new furniture and kitchen wares. The last time I had been to Jason's house, he'd been buying plastic silverware as all of his real silverware was 'lost' as well as all of his plates and bowls were chipped, cracked or also 'lost' so I was letting him keep all my kitchen stuff. He is a big help to get everything boxed up since I'd decided to stay in Shreveport after that night, and the next morning I get up to find that he's already loaded everything into his truck.

There's also a breakfast sandwich waiting for me, and I am eating it when he comes in from outside. "When did you learn to cook?"

"Well I did watch you and Gran the whole time we was growin' up. I also been reading Gran's book that she had on the counter when she would be cookin' and would write stuff down." I grin, taking another bite as I lean against the table.

"You've grown up recently." I think out loud.

"I acted like an idiot when Gran died, and it was sort of a wakeup call. Hoyt and Sam also set me straight." Smiling I grab my purse and make sure that I've gotten everything in order before I sign the deed over to Jason on the dining room table. Giving him the key to the now emptied safe, we get on our way down the road. Telling him all of the things I have scheduled to be fixed, he asks me to text it to him so he won't forget, and I smile amusedly as I do so.

The overall house of my condo is divided so that each side comes out on opposite parallel streets, with everything separate except the center wall dividing the structure. Opening the garage, he backs the truck in, and we carry everything in through the door in the kitchen to settle the boxes and he helps me unpack as much as possible before we eat a late lunch and a little while later he leaves as my furniture is being delivered. Directing the delivery men, I close up the garage, starting a grocery list as I get things settled before locking up and walking down the street towards Fangtasia. There's a black box attached to the wall next to the back door, and I swipe the white card that Eric had given me to unlock it when I come in that way. Knocking on his office door, there is no answer, and I crack it open to see no one inside. Leaving a slip of paper on his desk with my new address, I decide on a position at the end of the bar with a drink.

The way it curves around against the wall in the corner only allows one seat that I can easily keep an eye on and to make sure I'm not really noticed. Eric shows up through the front door to go straight to his throne when I only plan on being present for another half an hour. Giving him a small wave with a smile, he doesn't react before I leave down the hallway and out the back door. I'm turning the corner to my street when I feel a strange void approaching from a distance behind me, and deciding not to take my chances, I gather up some energy and pop myself straight to the living room as soon as I duck out of their view.

Being the first time I've done this alone, I stumble to my knees, but catch myself on the couch before getting up and making sure the doors are locked. I go to the kitchen and start sorting through some bags and boxes that had been piled on the counters earlier to get something things done before bed. Putting away several sets of pans and new boxes of dishes I decide to try teleporting some more and since it's not yet too late I grab my purse before teleporting to an alley not far from Fangtasia to make my way across the street to the grocery store. It's almost closing time when I've checked out and I've got a taxi outside waiting when I go through the doors. The driver is kind enough to help me, and he backs up to the garage when we get to my house, making it easy to get everything.

Putting a majority of the food away, I leave out a few things and make myself a couple of grilled cheese sandwiches before getting a shower and heading to bed.

I get up late the next day, already past one in the afternoon and I start making several calls before finally settling on a contractor to come give me an estimate on several things in the farm house. Letting Jason know the times when people will be there, I slowly start moving and changing everything in the house, getting it just how I want it. Several home furnishing stores are just a block over, and I take a walk there to start browsing. Sam calls me at one point, and I tell him about the move, which he grumbles over but doesn't really complain about. He promises to relay a message to Lafayette for me, and we end the call on decent terms as I start to make a meal. I have a long conversation with Niall as I'm pacing the kitchen, coming to several points and getting several answers before he tells me that he will stand behind me no matter what I do.

The sun has been set for almost three hours at this point, and the pasta for my dinner is only half cooked when I suddenly hear a knock on the front door.

Going to the foyer I open the peep hole, and I'm not sure what to think when I see Eric standing there. Opening the heavy wooden door I cross my arms over my chest.

"You did not inform me that you were looking to relocate to Shreveport." His frown is only slight.

Rolling my eyes, I ignore his comment and walk away from the door. "Come in, Eric." He closes it behind him, following me silently as he looks around.

"What can I do for you?" I ask, adjusting the temperature on the stove and stirring the pot.

"I noticed that you did not leave in a vehicle, then I found your new address on my desk." He says and looks around the kitchen, coming over to see what I'm doing.

"Yes, I walked home, since I live so close now." Frowning more, he looks at me with a serious expression.

"If you wish to do so, please let me know so that I may send someone to escort you. It is not safe for you to walk alone at night."

Thinking it over for a second, I grin rather than getting offended, conceding the point. "You're probably right." He looks surprised, and I continue before he can speak. "But only if it's you walking me."

He smirks, cocking an eyebrow and leaning against my counter. "Starting to come around to the idea of being mine?" His tone's partially joking, partially not.

"I am considering it." I say seriously, and I feel him slowly go stone still at my side as I focus on cooking my food.

"Sookie… I know something is wrong. You were not too inebriated to need your brother to drive you home the other night. You've also been acting different, more laid back, and you care noticeably less about some things you used to hold in high regard. What is going on?" I'm surprised by how straight forward he is being, and think for a long moment, finally deciding to tell him.

Pulling the papers from a stack of mail on the end of the counter, I hand it to him, and he looks over it seeming to read it multiple times. "What does this mean?" He says seeming frustrated, and I hold my hand out for the document.

As soon as it's in my grasp, I fold it into my pocket and give him a small smile. "Six to eight months."

"What?" There's somewhere deep inside him that he understands, and he gets what is going on. But he doesn't want to accept it, and I surprise him by taking his hand and holding it between mine as I step closer and look up at him.

"That's how long I have to live." He is as still as a statue, and I rub my thumb over the back of his hand, his eyes distant. "It's not treatable."

Suddenly I'm held up against his hard chest as his lips crush mine and I respond in earnest, kissing him back. "When did you find out?" He asks several seconds later, and I turn sideways to stir the pot of sauce with one hand.

"Just a few days ago." He seems to relax a little for some reason as he's stepping away and I release his hand. Opening the cabinets, he finds the plates and gets out a single set of silverware to set the dining room table for me.

"You don't have to do that." My words seem to fall on deaf ears, and he just looks indifferent as he goes around the room.

"There are many things I do not _have_ to do." The retort a second later make me grin, and I turn the temperature off as I grab my plate and drain and serve the noodles before getting plenty of sauce from the other pan.

"So what is that?" He asks, eyeing my plate and watching as I move back towards the stove. Grabbing the oven mitt, I pull out the pan, and I almost chuckle when I see his nose wrinkle at the smell.

"This is garlic bread, and that is spaghetti with alfredo sauce since I bought the wrong noodles by accident." Taking two pieces from the seasoned bread, I sit down and he sits across from me.

"Do you want to know one of the reasons that I picked this place?" Gesturing to the hallway which we can see across the living room next to the kitchen, he glances that way. "First door on the left. Go take a look." He's gone a second later and I hear the door close as he goes downstairs silently.

This side of the condo features exclusive access to a basement, fully underground, and undetectable from the outside. I'd furnished it with a king-sized bed, darkly stained wood dressers and a few plush area rugs and sitting chairs as well as a small couch. I'd found several sea scape pictures that were all in cold tones of blue and greys, something that I thought might be to his liking since he is a Viking, but it's my clothes that had been hung in half the closet. A king-sized bed is also in each of the upstairs rooms, but I wonder if he'll check them and notice that the downstairs is the only room with anything besides a bed in it.

"Why did you want me to see your bedroom?" He asks smirking, coming from the hallway and back through the living room to the kitchen.

"I heard from Ginger that you don't have your own house locally and I thought that if you ever wanted to sleep somewhere other than the bar, you could stay here." I say between bites, and he has a salacious grin that makes me roll my eyes. My meal is finished soon, and I rinse the dishes before sticking them in the dishwasher as he hovers. "Stay here." I tell him in a stern voice, and go downstairs as he grins and takes a seat lounging on the couch.

Picking out one of my new outfits, I use the bathroom mirror to fix my hair once I'm changed, finally utilizing dark eyeliner and an almost black maroon lipstick. The pants I'm wearing are figure hugging black with a fancy black and white buckle which is shown off as my shirt stops short a couple of inches above my waist. I look like a more reserved fangbanger, and I quickly use scissors to trim my edges and make my hair spike out in a messier ponytail. Once I decide that I look just right, I quickly sweep up the small amount of hair I cut off, and deposit it into the trash can before putting black socks and a pair of dark red short heels on.

Stepping up the stairs I notice that I'm more out of breath than I remember ever being from the farmhouse stairs and I hope that Eric doesn't notice. I take my time up the last few so as to regain myself, and he gives me a heated look when he sees me before we start on the walk towards Fangtasia. I notice the way he keeps looking at me, and finally I grab his hand and twine my fingers with his. He squeezes only slightly in a comforting gesture despite the dark look on his face as we round the corner of a building to see the front of Fangtasia ahead of us down the street, a line at the door. Pulling me into his side, he wraps his arm around my shoulders, guiding me next to him into the bar as scathing looks come my way from those in line. I can't help but blush as I lean against him. "Eric, I need to make an amendment to our contract." Looking curious, he takes us towards the office before setting me down in his chair and turning on the laptop in front of me.

A word document opens, and he steps to pull a chair over to the one I'm in, turning the computer towards him slightly while I watch the screen. "What would you like to change?"

"I want to add something, in the 'I'm yours' category." I say with a grin, and he puts another kiss to my lips, his hand holding my chin tenderly.

"I do like it when you say that." He sort of purrs, a low soft growl that seems more enticing than intimidating.

"Anyway, I want to add a… point."

Scrolling down, he gets to the area I'm talking about, and enters a blank bullet point at the bottom of a list of others. He watches as I type, and I can't help but notice the slight dent in the wood where his hand grips the edge of the desk.

 **In the event that Ms. Stackhouse is imminently going to die, by any cause, Eric Northman is fully permitted to turn her into a vampire without repercussion.**

"Sookie…" He's looking at me with something akin to awe, and he suddenly pulls me into his lap, holding me against him. My head is tucked under his chin and I press myself against him a second later as I wrap my arms around his sides.

"I don't think I can trust anyone else with this. I've thought over it a lot, and I'm not ready to die, not really. For some reason the thought of being with you indefinitely is just… right to me." I whisper against his collar bone, and lean up, kissing his neck as I straddle his lap.

Growling loudly, I hear the click on the computer as he prints the contract, and it starts coming out one page at a time.

Another click gets my attention as he nudges my head to the side and kisses down my neck, a scrape from what I think is his fang making me shiver. The thought of him biting doesn't scare me as it did the few times Bill had considered doing so, and I take a deep breath before slowly putting my hands into his hair, scraping the tips of my nails over his scalp. "Go ahead… you don't scare me. I trust you." There's a strange tingling in my mouth as he kisses the same spot over and over, his arms wrapped around my back to bow me against him. "Just don't let me go." A tear springs in my eye, and he bites down as I seem to feel an itching on my tongue. Kissing his shoulder, I dig my teeth into his flesh, not stopping until blood suddenly pours into my mouth and he snarls against me.

"You are mine." His voice is low and dangerous, and I hum in agreement as he returns to my throat, one of my hands clenching his arm while the other pulls his long hair teasingly.

I can feel him in the back of my mind, a little knob of emotions and feelings, and I rub over it causing him to growl loudly as he clutches me closer. "You make me feel safe." My own voice surprises me, not having consciously thought to say it, and he seems to soften against me as his hands rub circles over my back.

"I like that." He admits, licking my neck as he seals the marks on my skin, and I can almost feel his smile as he presses his lips to my neck tenderly. The wound I tore in his shoulder is healing beneath my tongue, and I lick over the spot to remove the traces of his spicy tasting blood, strangely missing the feel of his teeth buried in my neck. "I'm glad you enjoyed it." He purrs into my ear, and I realize he must have interpreted it from the bond, so I stroke him mentally. "Do you know what we did?"

"Yes. I had a talk with granddaddy Niall and he is supporting me fully." I tell him, and he nods, leaning back to kiss me again. It feels like he is holding the bond in his hands, filling it with warm emotions.

His phone ringing breaks us apart, and he answers, putting it to his ear. "Du är bunden?" The question comes through the speaker and I feel like I recognize the voice before it occurs to me that it sounds just like Godric.

"Ja." Eric answers, and his maker is quiet for a long moment.

"Jag kommer att besöka dig." The line goes dead, and I feel a strange tingle in the bond as he seems to call Pam.

She appears through the door a minute later, grinning suggestively as she sees us. "Get a hotel room for Godric, as he is coming to visit." She's gone a second later, disappearing.

"Godric and any vampires he has with him are invited into my home." I say absently, and Eric grins at me.

His phone beeps as he navigates the apps and starts scrolling through contacts, before hitting call and putting the phone to his ear. "Alcide, I have a job for you. Come to Fangtasia." He hangs up, putting the phone away and looking down at me with a smile. "We must go on display now."

"We?" I ask, his grin widening.

"You will not be leaving me now that we have started bonding. I will have Pam send an amount of my clothes to fill the empty space in your closet." His lips capture mine, and he runs his hands over my sides teasingly before lifting me up in his arms. He holds me in his lap as we're suddenly on his throne, and I see that he's brought my purse. I peck a kiss to his chin, pulling out my notebook, and sitting comfortably held as I close my eyes only to crack a look at the page when I write.

It feels like he is watching me through the bond, getting a feel for what I am doing and how I'm doing it as I skip from mind to mind. I don't even realize how long it's been when I yawn, and realize that it's been almost six hours and I am quite tired. He feels it at the same time and gives Pam a list of things to do before taking me out the back door to the employee parking. I frown at the sight of his Ferrari, and don't protest when he lowers me into the seat before going to the driver side and taking us down the street. It's only a few corner turns before he pulls into the driveway, and I open the garage door with the opener I had in my purse. My eyes feel heavy as he carries me inside and down to the bedroom, leaving me in the closet to change clothes while he goes to secure the house upstairs.

When he returns I am half asleep beneath the covers of the bed, and he curls up behind me, pulling me against him. "I like your new house." He says into my ear, kissing my temple as I smile lazily.

"Good. I like my new boyfriend." Chuckling, his chest shakes slightly behind me, and I feel nothing but comfort as I drift off.

Waking up I glance at the digital clock beside the bed, and find that it is a little after noon. The distant sound of the front door being knocked on is what roused me, and I wrap myself in a full length robe despite wearing a very modest pajama set as I am cold.

Opening the door, there is an unfamiliar but burly man there, and I recognize him from Eric's description. "Hi, Alcide. Come in."

"You already know me?" He asks with a smile, seeming to be charmed as I step aside for him to enter.

"No, but Eric described you to me very well." When he frowns, I drop my shield and look at his mind.

 _She's such a pretty girl, smells innocent too, I wonder why she's hanging around with those leeches._ "You one of Eric's donors?" His voice is flat.

"First of all, you will not refer to him as a leech, Were." His eyes widen as I call him out, and he takes a step back, suddenly intimidated as he realizes he has no idea what I'm capable of. "Second of all, I'm a telepath, and I am Eric's bonded. We both know why you're here, so just make yourself comfortable while I go get a shower. I want to go shopping." Grinning wickedly, I glance towards the kitchen where Eric's car keys are on the counter. "Behave, and I'll let you drive Eric's Ferrari when we go." He grins after a second, anticipation prevalent in his mind, and I go towards the hallway. "You can look around to get the layout of the house, but don't go downstairs. That's off limits." Snapping my fingers, he's shocked when the door swings open for me. "I mean it." Closing it behind me with another snap as I head down the staircase, I turn at the two landings before I see Eric come into view on the bed across the large space from me. Going over, I put a kiss to his cheek, and run my hand over his cheek before going for a shower and retrieving a nice sundress to change into. It doesn't flare out, lying against me loosely, a light powder blue with delicate white patterns sown around the seams. I notice a note on the bedside table with a plastic card as I'm coming out of the bathroom.

 _Buy yourself something nice._ I slip the card into my purse, wondering how best to use it. He also has left a list of phone numbers, with names and even descriptions of each person who I will reach.

Digging out a pair of white sandals from a still packed box of shoes, I slip them on and slowly make my way up the stairs before finding Alcide playing on his phone at the dining room table. "Well aren't you a doll." He grins, and I toss Eric's keys to him before locking the place up and leading him out through the door in the kitchen to the garage. Whistling, he climbs into the drive seat and I open the garage for him to back out, passing his truck which he had parked off to the side of the garage door. "He sure knows how to spoil you, letting you drive this car." He says with a chuckle as we're pulling into a shopping plaza.

"Oh he didn't say I could drive it. If he asks, I'll tell him it was your idea." The look he gives me is one of shock, and I get out of the car with a laugh as he's already parked.

"Are you trying to get me killed?" He says seriously in a low voice, trying to not let the humans walking nearby hear.

"No. Eric won't kill you if I ask him not to… I think. You should be okay." I reassure him although nearly laughing as I do so, and he follows me with a doubtful look as I start shopping. There are no complaints as I me at a leisurely pace, and he carries my bags for me without even being asked as he grabs them from the counters while I'm paying.

"So what do you do for a living normally?" Looking through some nice wall art, I decide to make some small talk and learn more about him without digging into his head to distract me.

"Construction." He says, and continues a second later. "My old man has a bit of a gambling habit, and he owes a good bit of money to Northman's casino. This is me working down that debt." I'm passing by a jewelry store when something catches my eye, a thick gold banded men's ring with an intricately cut translucent dark gem that has shattered blood red colors inside if the light hits it right.

"Can I help you?" A sales woman asks, and I jump, having not been paying attention to her.

"Yes, can I see that?" I ask, pointing to the ring, and she smiles graciously as Alcide watches on and she hands it to me. "What is the gem?" She pulls out a nice box, which has a card inside, and she reads it to me.

"That is a very special black opal, and the band is solid gold. Do you know what size you would need and I can give you a price?"

Thinking quickly, I smile to her warmly. "Do you have sizing rings? My… fiancé is just down the way and I can go size him real quick." She happily accepts this, giving me the ring of smaller numbered metal bands, and I stop Alcide from following me into the bathroom as he's not sure about leaving me alone. Landing next to the bed from a teleport, my knees shake slightly, but I hold steadily before taking Eric's hand and checking his ring finger.

Once I return to the jewelers, the woman is happy to tell me that the ring is only slightly off on size, and can be adjusted quickly to fit. I give her all of my specifications on a form before she gives us a wait time. We go to an outdoor food court nearby and I appreciate the break, sitting down and relaxing to recharge. Alcide and I find small talk easy and we spend plenty of time chatting before I browse around some more, finally going back to the jewelry shop a while later. It's ready, and I inspect the polished ring before putting it into the wooden box and realizing that I will have to get something for myself or he will make me do so to a ridiculous degree. Finding a dainty neckless with a nicely cut light blue sapphire set into the center of a white gold daisy flower charm, I hand over Eric's card as she rings the things up. Packing everything into the trunk of the car swiftly, Alcide takes no time before we are on our way back to the house. I have him stop at the grocery, and he walks with me as I pick up the things I had not gotten the first time, as well as go through the bank kiosk to deposit the paycheck Eric had given me yesterday. Tonight we would be home without needing to go anywhere, and I get the things for an easy dinner together.

"Where could I get Royalty Blend?" I ask Alcide as we're leaving the grocers, and he takes me to a discreet store I had never noticed across the street from Fangtasia. It turns out to be a specialty shop, catering to things that might be needed by witches and other supernatural creatures. There is a large display just to the left inside the door, and I see there are different choices of both True Blood and Royalty Blend. Looking at a case of Royalty Blend bottles, I almost choke at the price, but none the less go to get it when Alcide dips in and picks it up for me. Taking it up to the counter, I see a woman standing behind the solid wooden top with a scowl on her face.

She rings up the price, and starts working the large box into a black tote bag that hides it before I hand her the matte black card. Suddenly smiling, she hands it back to me. "I can't take this. Mister Eric already sent me a message about someone like you being loose with his card, and since he owns the place there's no point in charging himself." It's as though her moods turned around, and I reach for her mind, becoming overwhelmed as it seems like there are multiple personalities inside her head. They slam a barrier in place, and her get a highly curious tone to her voice as her eyes sparkle at me. "What are you? Telepath?"

Nodding after a second of hesitation, she chuckles, and whispers 'fae' under her breath which makes Alcide look at me with shock for a second before he schools his face. "What are you?" I counter, and look down at her name tag. "Amy?"

"Amy is a coalition of witches, who have all signed a contract with the owner of this body to use it at specified times to work in this place. Amy serves Eric Northman to run this shop for the local supernatural community." She speaks in third person, catching me off guard for a second.

"So… you're Amy, and you're also a bunch of ghost witches who have possessed you?" I ask with a slight grin, and she nods with a bright smile as I think of something.

"Then I'm sure you know a few things… would you help me with something?" Her face is blank for a second before she nods, motioning for me to go forward as Alcide takes the Royalty Blend in its tote bag to the car. "I'm terminally ill. Less than a year left." I say matter-of-factly, trying to get used to doing so, since I've decided that I will become a vampire in the end, and Amy doesn't respond except for a slight downward twitch of her lip. "Do you know of any way that I could put a ward around my house or even just the bedroom, to protect Eric when I'm not home? I'd like it to be something that doesn't rely on me being alive so that he'll still be okay no matter what."

They disappear, a curtain hiding the back of the shop from my view, and when she comes back there's a book laid on the counter and pushed across to me. "In the back, Amy thought of something and wrote it down. It is believed that it will work to help you. Keep this for yourself." Taking it, I thank them, and go to join Alcide in the car before going to the back of the book.

It's in a handwriting that changes on every line, as though it's a different person who wrote each part, and it says that I should be able to push my light into the surfaces of the house to ward off those with bad intent. Doing so with a mix of natural herbs rubbed onto my hands will apparently help, and I'm glad that they are all things I should have in the cabinet with the spices. The rest of the book seems to be useful potions and tricks of all sorts for working with herbs and different materials.

Getting home, Alcide backs the car in and I close the door before taking the lighter bags and carrying them as he somehow juggles everything else at once. Putting it all on the dining room table, he does the same with what he's carrying and I start sorting through things as I go about decorating. Pretty soon the things I bought are put where I had wanted them, and I'm about to go downstairs when a loud knock on the door makes me almost jump.

Alcide hovers behind me to the side where he isn't seen as I open the door to the strange man in a suit, and I see two large wooden trunks sitting on the ground next to him. "I am Bobby, Master Eric's Dayman. I am here with his things, to be left here with you, along with this." He hands me an envelope, and I set it on a table as Alcide steps out to pick up one trunk while Bobby takes the other and I direct them to the wall next to the hallway.

 _Don't know what this little hussy has over Master Eric._ The thought is broadcast from him, and I put up my shields as I find that he's a loud thinker. Alcide seems to notice the souring in my mood and looms over the smaller man threateningly as he leaves upon seeing my glare.

"What was he thinking?" Alcide says, guessing correctly as to what set off my suddenly darkened mood and I relay the thought in a flat voice. He seems to clench his jaw, and I brush it off as I go to start pulling books from the box of them I had bought at a book store. Getting a good idea, I get out my notepad, and Alcide settles down with his phone to entertain him as I am writing my list and fleshing it out with topics and sub-topics. Remembering the envelope that Bobby had left here, I go and look inside it to find a check written to Alcide with a memo stating 'debt paid' in clean and neat handwriting. Handing it to him, he seems surprised as he pockets it. "So what's the list for?" He asks, glancing at my paper as I tear it cleanly from the notebook.

"I have all those book shelves." I say, gesturing to the ones dominating the wall next to me, with extends halfway around the longest wall of the room. It was another thing that had attracted me to the condo. "I'm going to be having plenty of time to myself soon, and I have the means to learn things. So I'm deciding the topics and specific things I would like to know about, and I I'm going to ask Eric to get me the right books on these things so I can read them in my spare time."

After a long moment that I take to writing down a few last things, he clears his throat so that I look up at him. "I have a sister, Janet. She runs a beauty salon in New Orleans where a few other of our family lives. When we were younger, I used to sneak a look at her diary and write things down out of it to help out her boyfriend on her birthday and really just anytime he should get her a gift." Reaching over, he picks up the paper, and folds it into his pocket. "Let him surprise you. He'll probably get more enjoyment out of it rather than you just asking."

I laugh, going to get a drink and make us both a sandwich. We are almost done when I feel that Eric has woken up, over an hour before the sun will go down, and I tell Alcide I'm going downstairs before I put on my necklace and go down the steps. I'm pinned against the wall faster than I can blink, the ring in my hand almost dropped as he growls playfully against me. "You smell of Were… I don't like it."

He kisses me fiercely, and I slip my fingers around his, slipping his ring into place on his wedding ring finger. Stopping still, he moves his hand to where he can see it, and I look at the bond as I feel that he decides he likes it. Kissing me again, he leans back a second later to look at the ring again, and I smile.

"I had it engraved." He takes it off quickly, looking at the inside to see it.

"Älskad." He says with a wondering grin, and he presses his forehead to mine as his ring returns to its place and his hand presses to the back of my head as he tucks me beneath his chin. Holding me close, I feel a silent vibration in his chest against me, and I move his hand to hold the necklace I'm wearing.

"You told me to get myself something pretty." I say, and he examines the sapphire and gold daisy, smiling slightly.

"It fits you."

"I like that shade of Sapphire, it's just like your eyes." I tell him and he chuckles, kissing me again before I lean back, careful not to go too far.

"I'm going to go make dinner." Saying it without much more explanation, I give him another quick kiss before popping away to the kitchen upstairs making Alcide jump as I suddenly appear behind where he is sitting.

The sun is just over an hour from setting when I've got my food started, and I steel my nerves, slicing my arm deeply but precisely to drip my blood into two opened bottles of Royalty Blend. I shake the bottles, quickly recapping them and putting them in the fridge before popping downstairs. Eric is before me in a second, growling as he licks the long cut in my flesh. "I slipped." I say lightly, and he shallowly bites his lip with a fang to run his blood with his tongue over the cut.

Giving him a kiss, I almost get distracted by his attention before popping back to the kitchen and stirring the chili pot. When it's adequately ready, I ladle a fair amount into a Tupperware container and set it on the table. "You can take this with you." I say with a smile, and Alcide thanks me, looking at it appreciatively as the sun sets and Eric's suddenly behind me a second later. His arms come around my midsection holding me back against him, and I turn to give him a kiss before pulling free, going to the kitchen. When I have my back turned, Alcide hands Eric my list of book topics, and I hear what he says through his head. "She tried making a list of the book topics she wants to fill these shelves with so that she can learn, and I thought you could surprise her. I'm sure she'd like it." Eric stifles the surprise he feels in the bond, and I just smile thoughtlessly as I go about getting a bowl of chili for myself. Adding the appropriate amount of crackers, I set at the table and retrieve a bottle of Royalty Blend with my blood in it to heat up. Doing so I then shake it just enough to make sure it's mixed, and I hand the bottle to Eric as I eat my cooled food, Alcide on his way out the front door.

Eric goes to take the wooden trunks Bobby had dropped off downstairs, returning a minute later to sit next to me and wait as I eat. "So any plans for tonight?" I ask, and he shakes his head, taking a sip of his Royalty Blend before giving me a piercing look and downing the whole bottle quickly.

"That is fantastic when its Sookie flavored." I chuckle, grinning as he takes his empty bottle to the kitchen to dispose of it.

Standing, I'm just picking up my plate to go follow him to the kitchen, when a shooting pain puts sparks in my eyes and my knees give out as it dominates my senses. The dishes in my hands clutter to the ground, strong arms coming around me from behind as a loud growl fills the air. Eric shifts, taking me up bridal style and forgetting the mess as he sets us on the couch. My awareness fades for a minute, but I think he is using his phone, and when the burning stops I open my eyes to find him looking down at me. His fangs are down, and the look on his face is fierce while his hand is gently running over my cheek. "I'm sorry." I say without thought, and he frowns, his teeth snapping together for a second.

"You do not apologize for any reason. There is nothing to apologize for." He puts his forehead against mine, his growl softening as he is continuing to tenderly support me. "How can I help you?"

"I don't know." I say after a long moment, before moving slightly to press my lips to his fangs. "You being here is enough." I stretch mentally and brush the bond, weakly attempting to raise my shields to the thoughts around us at the same time.

"What are you doing?" He asks, gently holding the bond as he stares down at me. "Are you trying to block me?"

"No. I'm trying to block everyone else. We do in fact have neighbors." Humming, he sort of nuzzles me lovingly, and something about just seeing his strong jaw with the fangs protruding from his lip makes a thought strike me along with a chill as I turn to kiss the side of his head. "You make me feel safe." I whisper into his ear, running the tips of my fingers up the cords of muscle in his neck and finally over to move down the length of his canines. "Even when you're all 'scary vampire' mode and not acting like my mate."

He seems to think this over, careful not to move as he will cut my finger if he does, and I take my hand away to cup his neck before kissing him soundly. "Only you will ever see this from me." There's a strange need in him to say this, and I nod slightly, kissing him again. "You have a thousand year old vampire at your beck and call. Do not let it go to your head." His voice against my lips is light, and I crack a smile, wrapping both of my arms around his neck and pulling him down against me as I stretch out on the couch. His hands moves over my shoulders, helping to rub out the soreness that is almost ebbing away.

"I have been thinking about it a lot and there is no way I can defend myself, even with my light… just look at me." A tear slips from my eye, and I wince as I shift, letting him feel the lingering pain in my body through the bond. "If this hit me while I was trying to save myself, I'd be dead in seconds. Just do whatever you want to, guards or whatever, and I won't go out of my way to leave the house during the day or you during the night. If you'll have me?" I say the last part quietly, wanting to look away from him but unable.

A small smile plays on his lips and he leans in, kissing my temple before speaking into my ear. "I'll have you, and I'll keep you. Forever."

"I don't want to be left out then. No keeping things from me, just tell me, and I'm going to do my best to accept whatever you think the best course of action will be. Don't need to know every little detail, like your Sheriff stuff, but the things you know I'll want to be aware of." Caressing him pointedly in the bond, I feel him shiver against me. He returns the emotions, and the warmth from the bond makes me sigh as I kiss him lightly on the cheek, running my fingers through his hair. "That cold hard mask you wear around in public doesn't trick me, as much as you may wish it does. You have lots of emotions, your deep, and you definitely feel for me. This all seems really important, and something in my gut is reassuring me that I can trust you with… myself." He's pulled back, staring down at me with a small grin.

"I am very flattered to be given something so precious." It feels like I'm melting, and I smile broadly as he moves to lay on his side, pulling me against him on the wide couch. "I also approve your taste in furniture."

"I actually picked this set out _because_ it was so large, with your freakishly huge figure I knew I needed to be able to lay comfortably on here with you." Eric kisses the tip of my nose playfully, and I chuckle, dancing my fingers up his neck to take a handful of his hair.

"There is a supernatural doctor, Doctor Ludwig. I asked her to commandeer your medical records, and give me her opinion on it. She will call me when she is ready to speak again." I nod, not minding getting another medical opinion and am about to ask something when there is a single knock on the front door.

"I've barely lived here two days. How does anyone know where I am but you and Alcide?"

"I do believe Pamela came to speak with me." Eric says with slight annoyance, leaving me on the couch as he moves towards the foyer. I follow him a second later, and welcome Pam in as he opens the door. I'm surprised when she hands me a white clothes box wrapped in a purple ribbon, Eric also looking surprised, and I feel that he is also pleased with her.

"This should fit you perfectly, even though I doubt it will last long with the way he is." She smirks as I blush, and Eric asks what she is here for as I take it to the dining table to open it. Remembering the mess on the floor, I go to the kitchen and take a couple of Advil before cleaning up the broken dishes and then finally going to open the box just as Eric is walking through the living room with Pam.

"My Sheriff duties call, mitt hjärta." He says, making me smile flattered as he kisses me, and looks down at the dress in the box. It's a dark red, sleeveless with wide silky shoulder straps and I hold it up for him to see that it will barely fall below my thighs. "Just right for a date night." His wink makes me chuckle, and he flits away before returning a second later with my phone, setting it on the table.

"It should only take about four or five hours. Bobby will likely be dropping by to deliver some things I ordered of him, so just open the door as I've given him quite specific directions." He gives me an odd look as he feels my reaction to the dayman's name, but I wave him off, telling him it is nothing silently.

Giving me another long kiss, he pulls the door locked behind him with Pam after I thank her for the dress on their way out. I end up making several phone calls, having an especially long heart felt one with Lafayette. Eric masks his side of the bond sporadically, and I realize that he's probably not wanting to trouble me with whatever his Sheriff duties are making him feel.

I pull out several boxes I had stashed in the extra bedroom, and start working the contents onto two different ends of the dining room table. Mostly it's pictures, but also small mementos of special occasions and I take my time spreading one set of them throughout the house. The other group at one end of the table goes into a single box, and I stow it into a closet in the hallway. I'm settling down to turn on the TV when I notice that a strange void is outside of the house, and Eric has the bond blocked as I had felt him getting very annoyed several minutes prior.

"I don't appreciate uninvited visitors." I say only slightly above a normal volume, and a minute later there is a solid knock on the front door.

Opening the door, I cross my arms over my chest and step back out of reach to stare down the young woman standing on my welcome mat. She looks like she could almost be a teenager, and she has a blank but slightly confident look on her face. "I would like to speak to you."

"What about?" There's nothing being given away by her features, and trying to feel her out through my light, I'm certain that she is about seven hundred.

"May I come in?" She asks, as though she didn't hear my question and I feel her trying to glamour me. Thinking back to when I had asked Niall about this, I push back, jabbing her hard mentally and she actually stumbles back, thrown off. "How did you do that?" Suddenly she takes a step forward and inside, and it feels like my heart stops for a second as I raise my hand, blasting her with my full light and expelling a larger amount of energy than I should as I pop to the bedroom without thought at the same time. The door to go up the stairs is a heavy metal, and I close it, sliding a heavy bar into place to seal it shut. Panic rises in me, out of my control, and I know that it's irrational but for some reason I can't fight it as it becomes hard to form a rational line of thought.

After several minutes I'm finally able to shake myself into some semblance of sensible, and I grab a book I had set on my bedside table. Seeing the bed though reminds me to Eric, and then it hits me, that I want him. I _need_ him here right now, and I drop the book as my arms wrap around myself, mentally grasping at him but being deflected as I don't think he even notices me. Numbly bringing the book with me to the bed, it's like there's nothing holding me, my skin showing a sheen of light as I scan the pages methodically and examine the right one carefully. Waving my hand towards the wall, I let my light seep into the air, absorbing into and around the door to magically seal it from anyone who would mean us harm. As I lean back on the bed, slowly lying sideways, I feel just how much I lost from my uncontrolled teleport earlier. It feels like I couldn't even go over a block away now, and with this vampire's age I know that she would find me in no time. I just have to wait for Eric, and everything will be fine.

The bond being blocked is starting to hit a nerve, bothering me more and more as the minutes go by, and I back off for a second as I gather myself. Closing my eyes, I center myself, swirling up my anger and digging my claws into his wall on the bond forcefully. I want my bonded, and I am going to get him.

Eric falls to his knees, clutching his head in his hands as Pam suddenly appears beside him in his office. Its pure agony, feeling like a demon has sunk its claws into his skull and dragged them all the way through to the other side. When he finally evaluates the bond, he realizes that she is feeling completely drained while some unknown force is in the house to terrorize her. She's also furious beyond possibility with him, and it's like a maker's call as he ignores Pam's questions and shoots out of the club to get home.

I sigh in relief, my anger washing away quickly as Eric embraces the bond and I can feel him coming closer.

When the bedroom door is touched, I feel the ward shatter, and I don't move in shock. I start pushing all of my love and affection onto Eric as it opens, certain that I'm almost finished. It's like time has slowed to a crawl, I can see her stepping closer and her nostrils flare as she catches my scent before she gives me a hard look. Her movements are almost sluggish, and definitely slower than they should be since she's a vampire. Pushing my back to the wall, I wrap my hands around my knees as I drop my head down, waiting for the inevitable as I can feel Eric's fury barreling closer but not fast enough.

The void is closer to me, by the side of the bed, and I stay stone still when I feel fingers brushing my arm only to have them disappear a second later with a crash.

Eric's back is to me, the back of his legs brushing the bed as he is facing whoever he threw against the wall, his snarl echoing in the room. Wrenching upward to sit on my knees, I throw my arms around his midsection, hugging myself to his back as calm and security wash through me with his presence. His growl doesn't lessen, but one of his hands tenderly covers my own where I have them clasped around his stomach and he holds me in the bond reassuringly. The rumbling that I can feel through our contact seeming to urge away the tension I was feeling before. Beneath the seething feelings being directed towards the stranger in the room, he is happy with my response as well as relieved, and I shift to look around his shoulder at the figure on the floor.

Standing, the teenage looking vampire turns to face Eric, and I'm surprised when Eric relaxes slightly as he sees her face. "Thalia, what the fuck are you doing here?"

"I wanted to meet your bonded." She says simply, giving me a pointed look as he growls quieter.

"She's exhausted from you causing her terror and I almost ended you. Go wait upstairs." He hisses, and sits back on the bed at the same time that he pulls me into his lap. She watches as he moves, her eyes seeming to follow his hands, and I close my eyes against his chest as a small yawn slips from my lips. The door closes a second later, and he tilts my chin up, prompting me to open my eyes again. "Thalia is an ally of Godric, and as you can see, she has no tact."

"It's alright. I couldn't control the panic I had, and I teleported by accident as well when I shot her with my light." My eyes widen when I remember that particular detail. "I'm sorry for shooting you." I call out, and Eric chuckles despite the circumstances, his phone in his hands an instant later.

"Sookie got spooked and used too much energy. It would also seem that she becomes less rational with a lot of emotional stress." I hear what sounds like Niall on the other end.

"Hmm… your blood should help her. Once you are fully bonded she should be able to take as much as you can give without any adverse effects. Sookie, dear, I'm sure you're listening. Don't be afraid to sleep all day and follow Eric's schedule more. When he rests for the day, you will likely be brought down from full strength as he supports you even when he isn't trying to. Fully bonded you should also be able to feed him without reserve." There's something else there in his message that he is trying to tell me, but Eric doesn't seem to be able to hear it like I do.

"Thank you Niall, I will alert you of any changes." Eric says, ending the call and giving me a sound kiss before telling me about a call he'd had with Niall earlier in the night and finishes transcribing it quickly. "He made me swear to ask him any questions and let him know of any differences, and you should do the same." I nod, and his fangs drop as he grins, making me chuckles. "Doctors' orders." He teases, biting into his wrist, and offers it to me. Giving him a heated look, I hear a low sexy sound in back of his throat as I pull on the open wound. Rubbing my hand up his chest, I move my arm to the side and twist to offer him my own wrist which makes him grin as he nods down at me. There's not even the sensation of a bite, just the slight tug of him pulling, and I close my eyes as I enjoy the warmth spreading through me.

The bond pulsates, growing more prevalent as we drink, and I feel myself falling tired as I'm lulled by the pleasant sensations. His free arm is wrapped around my back holding me up, and his thumb is rubbing circles where he's gently grasping my shoulder. Licking the skin several times, he kisses it a few as well and then leans down with a smirk as I pull his hair playfully. The ache in my limbs that was starting to form stops and fades away, and I start to feel more awake as the bonding invigorates me. Teasingly cleaning his wrist, I kiss the skin just as he had done and push up against him to kiss his lips, straddling him. His fang scratches my lip, and I lick the canine without thought, almost giggling in delight when his eyes roll back in his head and he moans slightly. "Has that ever happened before?" I ask amusedly in his ear, and get the answer of a no from the bond. "At least it's good to know I effect you as much as you effect me." His amusement matches mine, and I give him several quick kisses.

"If you are feeling up to it, I do believe that Godric will arrive soon, and Thalia needs to be handled." He says, and I give him a mischievous look, leaning in slowly as he stares at me with his mouth hanging open and his fangs glistening.

"Or we could get a shower." I run the tip of my tongue over the shell of his ear, and he seems to vibrate as he shivers. A second later I'm pinned to the bathroom wall, his mouth assaulting mine as his hands are tugging at my clothes gently.

It's nothing but tenderness and caring, the most incredible moment being when he bit at the same time as I clamped down on his shoulder, completing our bond for the third time.

When the water stops he wraps me in a towel and gives me a long kiss. Wrapping another one around his waist, he disappears to return a minute later with a comfortable outfit for me, pulling a hairdryer from under the counter and using it on himself as I dress. I end up in my own sweat pants, and his shirt which he remarks that he enjoys his scent being strong on me, the hairdryer and his fingers making quick work of my hair as soon as I'm done. His hands are steady and knowing as he brushes out the long locks, and I give him the same treatment once I'm completely dry.

He holds my hand, leading me up the stairs after he's dressed in a similar outfit and we find Thalia sitting on the living room couch talking to Godric who's alone on a rocking chair in the corner.

"I see you have finally decided to join us." Godric remarks with a grin, and I blush, sitting down next to Eric on the loveseat with him pulling me into his side comfortably.

"Sookie wanted to get a shower." His grin is broad and I give him a hard poke in the bond, making him just smile as he puts his arm around my shoulders.

"You are usually quite aggressive, are you not? She does not seem injured or afraid of you at all since you took her." Thalia questions Eric, seemingly under the impression that he snatched me from somewhere which I feel irritates him.

"Actually… I sort of chose him." I say meekly before he speaks rashly, and a moment later, the vampire woman gives a hard laugh.

"Of all the vampires, it _would_ be you who is tamed by a fae." Unable to help my laugh, she gives me a quizzical look.

"He's not tame at all. I'm just well liked." Eric laughs, poking me in the bond gently and washing me with amused affection as the tension in the room is fully broken.

"Well liked indeed." Godric says, and Eric looks at his maker, his arm around me clenching me minutely closer.

"Eric _can't_ hurt me." I say with confidence, suddenly understanding what Niall had been trying to tell me earlier, and Godric looks at me with doubt that matches my bonded's. "Trust me?" Looking up at Eric, I ask it quietly before he instantly nods, and I turn back to his maker. "Order Eric to hurt me."

There's a second of hesitation before he realizes that I am fully serious, seeming to sense it through Eric, and looks at his child. "As your maker, I command you to drain her." Eric's movement is instant, and he bites into my neck as he pushes me back against the arm of the couch, but it doesn't hurt as he has already softened his touch. I run my hands past his sides to go up his back, tenderly scraping my nails against his scalp, and he purrs against me while his hands rub my sides soothingly. There's no stopping as he pulls steadily on my neck, drinking deeply with his eyes closed as he senses what the bond is telling him. My spark is maintaining the blood, supplying it in such a way that I can't be drained, but I notice that Thalia doesn't seem to be convinced.

She stands as though to come forward and touch Eric, but his reaction is without hesitation as he was previously consumed in the taste and feel of drinking from me. Swiping his tongue over the marks quickly, he twists over me, holding me protectively beneath him as he turns his head and snarls at Thalia. Looking into the bond, I realize that there's not very much thought behind what he's doing, mainly instinct.

Niall's mental voice catches my attention, and I see him standing in the corner. _It boils down to a thousand-year-old vampire feeding from his mate and sensing a possible threat approaching, and makers command or not, he won't just ignore that._ I swallow what he says as the dark haired woman steps towards us.

"Thalia." Godric says warningly, and she comes to a stop.

"I really wouldn't do that." Speaking to Thalia, Niall backs up what Godric just said, enforcing it as he comes into view. "Sookie, distract him. That'll be the best way to stop him when he's dangerous like this."

Realizing what he means, I lean up slowly, kissing just beneath Eric's ear and working my way across his neck towards his jaw. Gently putting my hand to his other cheek, I pull him to look at me, his eyes staying locked to Thalia for as long as possible before he finally stares down at me. His gaze softens, the fierceness backing off slowly before I kiss his fangs and they disappear as he kisses me back gently. Shutting his eyes, he presses against me, his strong emotions being relaxed by the soft caresses I repeatedly run through the bond. The growl from his chest stops, fading away as he regains himself fully.

"That's how the bond works." I say quietly to Godric, glancing at him and Thalia who is examining Niall.

"Eric, think about how you would feel afterward if you ended up hurting Sookie." Godric mutters, and I'm shocked by the sharp hollow regret that sweeps over Eric.

"Stop thinking about what will never happen." He nods at my words, and the bond clears up quickly before I smile, looking at Niall questioningly a second later when Godric speaks.

"Jag är stolt över dig ,Eric. Bara feeing dig med henne i de sista minuterna är nog för mig att veta att du inte skulle skada henne. Jag hade orolig." He says, and Eric relaxes while his maker notices the look on my face. "All good things." His reassuring grin works, and I get the feeling from Eric that he will translate later on.

"I did not intend to interrupt your night, but there is something important we must discuss." Niall interjects, reminding us he is in the corner, and Eric looks at him as he moves suddenly so that I am laying in his lap as he puts his back to the couch arm.

"I shall check us into the hotel." Thalia says flatly when Godric glances at her, and as soon as she's out the front door Eric speaks up to Niall.

"Godric is my maker. He may hear whatever it is you have to say." Nodding, Niall moves to clear off the center coffee table sitting in reach of all of the chairs, before laying down a frail looking roll of paper. It looks like it should be in a museum somewhere, crinkled and worn yellow with age. Pushing it out, he uses a few of the books I had lying on the table to hold the edges.

"I trust that you two are old enough to control yourself." Niall mutters before he produces a small dagger from the sleeve of his suit, and pricks his finger. Godric doesn't change at all while Eric barely even tenses, and I feel him focusing on my scent as Niall lets a drop of blood fall to the center of the page. Sitting up beside each other on the couch, we lean forward and watch in surprise as it is absorbed to disappear into the paper as though it was never there. Godric leans forward as symbols start to appear a second later, but what seems to be text is twisted in seemingly random shapes and lines of dark red.

"There is not a language on this planet I have not at least examined." Surprise colors me as I look at Godric, who's eyes flick to mine for a second as I'm reminded of his age, and he looks up to Niall. "What is this?"

"An ancient fae language. Once Sookie told me of what she intended to do, I decided to dig through some of my father's old scrolls to see if he had any insight on the possibilities." He looks pointedly at me, his expression almost pained. "If I had known about this… I would have told you sooner." Looking down at the paper, he sighs, and looks at Eric. "This is a contract signed by my father in desperate times. It promises the first female born of his lineage baring a spark to an ancient vampire by the name of Warlow. He slaughtered countless of us during the start of the first vampire and fae war, and would likely have ended us all if not for this contract. The paper was supposed to stay in Warlow's possession, because the text is only seen if you use the blood of a Brigant baring the spark. I was never told why, but my father banished him to a wasteland world, hidden in the folds of different plains of existence where he wouldn't be able to escape." Taking a deep breathe, he looks at Godric, then to me. "Except… there has been a disturbance in the barrier that he shouldn't have been able to breach. With what I've seen of your powers, your spark must have only manifested in recent months, and it is likely that he sensed it given that the original contract was written in blood. If he has made it into this world, then he will most certainly be looking for you. The magic of the contract will pull him to this general area, so he will at least know you are in this city." Looking at Eric again, he sees the agitation on my bonded's face, and tries to look apologetic. "I would recommend that with this new information, you don't leave her alone at all."

I'm silent as Eric starts asking questions, as well as Godric, and Niall answers them while occasionally glancing at me. My thoughts go into depth as I'm considering things, and Eric leaves me alone simply holding me as he can tell I'm deep in thought.

"Niall, was there anything else you needed to talk about?" I ask right after he's finished answering a question from Godric, and he shakes his head.

"I would like to speak to Eric alone." Nodding, he gives me a lighthearted bow, and pops away after gathering the scroll back into his shirt pocket.

Giving Godric a warm look, I smile and speak gently. "You are his maker, and I like you, but you are not my bonded or _my_ maker." Nodding, I see it in his eyes, that he caught the hint before he stands and looks to Eric for a second then disappearing.

"What is it?" He asks, his arms holding me around my waist clenching slightly before letting me pull up and turn to face him as I sit on my knees beside him.

"Six to eight months was a best case scenario, and I have been feeling more tired than normal." Taking his hands between mine, he looks unsure while he is trying to figure me out through the bond and he stares into my eyes as I smile gently. "Jason is already ready for what has to happen."

"I need you to tell me what you're saying." The quietness of his voice is surprising, practically a whisper but easily audible.

"My vampire…" I breathe, leaning closer and moving one of my hands to his jaw. His fangs drop, but his expression doesn't change despite smiling slightly when I run my finger down the side of one. "You get to keep me forever." I grin at the soft growl that comes from his chest, and he seems to finally be settling into elation as he leans up and kisses me lavishly. His hand leaves my grip to hold the back of my head and sends a warm thrill down my back. Running my tongue over his fang, he growls a little louder as he nicks his own to heal mine and blood mixes in our mouths.

"When?" He asks, pulling back an inch and then he kisses me again for a second.

"It should probably be soon… I don't even want to deal with this Warlow guy and if I'm already turned by the time he finds me then there is nothing he can do since we technically didn't even know about the contract before we bonded. I'm terminal, so who would even blame me for being turned?" Thinking for a second, he waits as he feels me coming to a conclusion on something. "Can you call to Godric to bring him back?"

I feel him wordlessly pulling at something on his side of the bond, and I go to the kitchen with Eric following as we wait for his maker to come back. Finally I make a short list of things to take care of before I'm turned while my tea steeps, and Eric sits next to me at the dining room table. I'm taking the first sip of my tea when Godric comes through the front door, and a second later he walks into the kitchen and looks at us.

"Would you be willing to do something for me?" I ask, and he only hesitates for a second before nodding confidently.

"Eric is going to turn me before sunrise tomorrow night." He looks only slightly surprised, and gives Eric a strange look, which I feel through the bond as him seeming to wonder if Eric pushed me to it. "I'm terminally ill, and now there is a vampire older than even you who wants to turn me into his 'fae-pire' bride. That's where I draw the line on bullshit I have to deal with, because I already knew that I'd be turned at some point, and it may as well be sooner than later. What I want to know, is if you'll watch over us, just to make sure we're not bothered while we're in the ground?" I've amused him while he's also slightly admiring of what I said.

"Yes, it would be my pleasure to do so."

My alarm wakes me the next day at one in the afternoon, Alcide already there working on a project I commissioned. He has already finished it and helps me in the kitchen, running to the store when I give him a list of things to retrieve for me in a ploy to let me sit down for a bit. Jason and Lafayette show up precisely at three when I had asked them to, and Alcide is still gone, their knock on the front door loud through the peaceful house. I show them around the place, just point to my bedroom door instead of going downstairs, and they don't ask any questions about the bottles of red in the fridge. Lafayette happily helps me finish up the dinner I had started, and when Alcide returns I introduce him to everyone while going through grocery bags.

When it's two hours to sunrise, I look at the werewolf as he speaks. "I'm going to go outside and check if any work needs done."

Once he's out the door, Lafayette looks at me. "Ok, now that Mr. Muscles is gone, what's goin' on?"

"Lafayette, I'm sick. It's not something that can just be fixed." I say quietly, and he looks grave for a long moment.

"Maybe we can find someone…"

"I already did." I cut him off, and look at the remote on the counter, picking it up.

"What's that?" Jason asks, and I push a button, making them look around as all of the windows and outside light sources are cut off.

"I've chosen to be with Eric, and he's going to turn me tonight." I say with finality, and they both stare at me for a long moment.

Jason looks down at his plate, his hair slightly longer than usual and it hides his face as Lafayette stares wide eyed for a long minute. "I…" Lafayette starts, but he doesn't go on, just looking me over. Glancing into his mind, I can see through him as he's noticing the slightly paler color of my skin and the circles starting to appear beneath my eyes.

"Does he make you happy?" Jason asks suddenly a minute later, breaking the quiet.

"Yeah, he really does." I say, and he examines my face, seeming to accept the small smile I wear. "He's also going to keep me safe, and protect me from the people who would hurt me."

"How you know he'll want you for you? _"_ Giving Lafayette a hard look, I finally sigh, before looking towards the floor for a second.

"Do I have to prove it?" I ask quietly, and he nods when I meet his gaze. Going to the drawer, I pull out a sharp knife, and go to the sink before looking into his eyes pointedly. There's no hesitation as I pull the blade across my flesh, blood dripping into the sink a second later and a sort of weight seeming to settle in the air. Eric is awake in the bond, having felt the slight pain, and a second later I am hidden from Jason and Lafayette as he stands over me.

"Please be more careful, lover." He says quietly, taking the blade and holding my arm up to examine the cut. Licking it over, he doesn't hide his smile as he enjoys a taste of me, and he pricks his tongue before moving it over the area to heal it.

"Damn." I hear from Jason in a bewildered tone and Eric growls, holding me to his chest as he turns us.

"Do not doubt that I will keep her safe with me, always." His arms around me are gentle, and I yawn unexpectedly while closing my eyes and leaning back against him.

"I don't intend to disappear from your lives, but I decided that I have to be a secret for a while. There's nothing I want more than quiet days here with Eric." I tell him, and Jason nods while Lafayette watches Eric's hands repositioning me to pick me up bridal style. "I'm tired." Dizziness makes my head spin, and I clutch myself to Eric's chest as he says something to Jason and Lafayette which I don't pay attention to. As I return to a grounded feeling, I peek open my eyes to see Jason standing in front of me.

"I'll be in Bon Temps, whenever you need me, just let me know." He says in his 'serious voice', and I see Lafayette nod behind him.

"Same here." They both quickly say goodbye, Jason awkwardly hugging me while I'm still being held, and I give Lafayette a meaningful look as they turn to go out the door.

"I do believe you wore yourself out more than you should have yesterday and today." Eric murmurs in my ear, and I don't respond, pushing my forehead to his chest.

"This tiredness keeps creeping up on me." I relent, closing my eyes and relaxing as I feel him taking me to the couch.

"When did you have the shutters installed?" He inquires as he reaches for his phone and I tell him, also standing as I recall that Alcide is outside.

"I also have a shiny new security system, which I'll just have you do all the right settings for. The manual is on the dining room table, if you want to use it while I go talk to Alcide before he leaves." Nodding, he goes after the security system directions as I go outside, seeing Alcide examining the gutters on the side of the house.

"Hey, you can-." I'm cut off by a loud yip which seems to catch Alcide off guard, something rushing past my legs before I see a snarling wolf barreling into his chest. His frame vibrates as he starts to shift mid collision, readying himself for a fight. My feet move backwards as I intend to bolt inside but am stopped as a cloth comes over my mouth from behind, my thoughts clouding instantly. My mind begins to blank as I grasp for the bond, trying to call Eric a second before I'm unconscious.

I'm uncertain when I wake, the surface beneath me hard and my body protests with aches as I move with a groan. "Good, you're awake." I hear someone say, turning to find myself in a cage.

"What do you want? Why am I here?" I demand, a large burly man standing nearby and I see that we're in a warehouse.

"Someone mentioned that the Sheriff got himself a new little plaything." Not really seeing any correlation with the current situation I raise an eyebrow in question, mimicking Eric. His face comes closer as he grins sickeningly, licking his lips as he looks me over. "We want to play too."

"We?" I ask after a second, blocking any of his snarled thoughts from getting through to me as I'm sure they're sickening.

"Don't worry, the rest of the pack will be back soon." I'm horrified as I glance around the room, noticing what might be beds in corners of the room as well as other cages which are currently empty. However, as my eyes adjust to the light further, I can see from here the old dried blood stains on the walls around the beds which leads me to wonder how long this has been going on.

"How many other girls have you kidnapped? What happened to them?" I demand, fury rising at the thought of all the others that have been subjected to whatever cruelties they've come up with.

"Not nearly enough to make my money back on buying this place, and don't worry about what happened to them. Just know they enjoyed themselves until they couldn't enjoy _anything_ anymore. Just like you'll be doing." Pulling back away from the side of the cage he's on, he laughs with a cruel tone, my emotions rising as I watch him walk away.

The bond is quiet, but it also feels stretched a long distance and I'm shocked when I find that I can't teleport. Tears spring into my eyes in fury as I curse my illness, my energy already feeling primarily gone despite having just woken up.

"Why did you think taking me from Eric would be a good idea?" I ask loudly, the werewolf reappearing from a door on the far wall and he looks unhappy.

"Why wouldn't it be? That bloodsucker won't let us expand our territory into his area, and we are sick of him letting a weak pack run freely under his nose. Maybe now he'll understand that he should stay out of our business!" He's snarling angry words, a line of slobber flying from his mouth as he barks the last line, pacing back and forth. "Fuck this, I'm not fuckin' waiting for those slow asses to get back here."

I'm surprised when he's pulling open the cage door, wrenching me out to stumble weakly on my feet as he throws me across the floor, kicking my side as soon as I fall to my hands and knees.

"That asshole has no idea who he's messing with!" He rages further, kicking me several more times as I try to curl away from the blows. "See if he wants a feed and fuck when he can't even recognize you!" A blow to my face is unexpected and I see stars, something nudging the back of my mind a second later but it is incomprehensible to me.

"What the fuck?" I hear him shout a second later as I try not to move, my eyes closed as I am trying to block out the pain everywhere.

A loud crash sounds around me but it is somehow muffled, the sound of Godric's voice in my ears a moment later but seemingly far away as well. "Sookie, don't move."

Growling fills the air a second later, the sound vibrating to my core as I recognize the source and I instinctually try to turn towards my bonded. His snarl is louder as pain shoots all through me and I feel him a second later with his nose at my throat as I'm laying back on the concrete. "Eric." My voice croaks, my chest hurting as I speak and I feel his wrist at my mouth a moment later. His blood pours over my tongue, sliding down my throat easily after the first swallow and I don't even register that I'm being moved as his blood is all that exists to me for a few minutes.

"What is going on here?" Someone demands, my eyes popping open to stare up at Eric as he's holding me bridal style. Glancing over at the intruder, he snarls louder as I'm distracted by the vampire who just entered the room, coming through a recently destroyed door to outside. Refocusing on Eric, he visibly relaxes as Godric steps between us and the newcomer, his eyes locking back to mine as his maker speaks.

"Sheriff, good evening. How involved are you with your local pack of werewolves?"

"Not very, I allow them to operate independently as long as they cause no disturbances. Northman, is that you? Why are you in my area without notifying me?" The vampire demands, his voice harsh.

"My child's bonded was stolen by your areas pack. Do you have any idea why?"

There's silence for a moment before the other vampire speaks again. "I am to assume that you are Godric, then. It does not please me to hear of the packs discretion and they will be dealt with accordingly. You are all welcome in the area should you need a place to recuperate."

"No need, my child already eliminated them all on his way to his bonded. You know the rules. We have our own shelter arrangements. Do notify us if any remaining adult pack members turn up. I will come to retrieve them myself." Eric's eyes bore into mine, unwavering as I continue to drink and I release his wrist as my pain starts to ebb away, his skin healed over. Leaning up, he meets me as I kiss his fangs, my barriers falling away as I feel him holding me snugly physically and mentally through the bond. His fury finally drains away as he recognizes that the threat is gone, nuzzling against my neck as I feel his relief that I wasn't harmed further.

"Do not move, Älskad." He whispers nearly inaudibly before looking up at the other Sheriff. "I would ask that you provide a vehicle, preferably an SUV."

A set of keys are thrown into Godric's hand instantly as the other vampire speaks. "Take mine. I'll send someone to retrieve it from your bar in a few days. I hope your bonded is alright, it would be a shame to lose a pet who smells so enticing." Eric's snarl is loud and matched by Godric's, seeming to surprise the other Sheriff which is evident on his face when I glance at him before turning into Eric's hold. Closing my eyes tiredly, his arms constrict tighter around me for a second as Godric speaks.

"Did your maker never educate you on bonding? To say she is a pet is an insult, one you would pay for dearly if I were in the mood to dole out such punishments. I am however preoccupied tonight."

"My apologies, sir." The other vampire sounds as though he's worried, disappearing a moment later with a whoosh of air.

"Let's be off, child." Godric mutters, walking towards the exit and Eric follows with his attention mostly on me as even as he walks.

Tapping the bond, he prompts me to look up at him which I happily do, kissing him back when he leans down to capture my lips. "I'm sorry… I shouldn't have gone outside without you, especially at night."

"You _do not_ apologize for the actions of someone who hurt you." He snarls and I notice Godric looking back at us for a moment in the corner of my eye but I ignore him.

"But I'm going to, I shouldn't have-."

His snarl cuts me off before he's about to speak, but things change when Godric turns around towards us rather than continuing to walk. Reaching out as though to take me, I recoil into Eric's chest who snarls in response as well as he twists away to keep me from his maker. Baring his fangs, he hisses at his maker dangerously, stopping slowly as he sees Godric's partially shocked expression.

There's a conflict in Eric that wages for a second before I feel it disappear, his resolve barely wavering at standing against his maker.

"I am his." I speak sternly, my voice firm and strong sounding despite being exhausted.

"Little one, he is stronger than you can imagine." Godric sounds as though he's speaking down to me, further provoking me.

"Ancient, he is stronger than _you_ can imagine if you think he would harm me." He seems stunned to be talked to in such a manner, my gaze not leaving his until he finally looks up at Eric who has been observing the exchange.

"My child, my apologies." His eyes flick to mine again repeatedly as he speaks. "I should not have attempted to interfere with you and your bonded." There's no emotion in Godric's voice but I can feel that Eric is stunned, seemingly partially disbelieving of what just transpired.

Yawning almost painfully hard, my head lands against Eric as I nearly fall asleep when he moves silently to continue exiting the building. He whispers sweet nothings in my ear about how happy he is to have me as he follows Godric in the sky. Kissing me, I tiredly move my lips against his once more before he turns his head to focus on his maker, his speed picking up as they figure out where they're taking me. I'm surprised when we land at my house again soon, Eric taking me straight to the bedroom and helping me into the shower as I want to get my dirtied clothes off.

He seems surprised when I start to kiss his chest, his skin vibrating with a light, enticing growl that I smile upon hearing. Everything is gentle from him, his hands ghosting across my skin while my back is on fire against the cool tiled wall. Putting my head back, I bare my throat, my hand twisting into his wet hair to encourage him.

"I don't want to keep thinking about _what ifs_? Turn me now, before something else gets in the way." I ask, wanting to get this over with and wanting to move forward with my undead life.

"You're certain, right now?" He asks, one last chance to stop and I nip his lip between my teeth as I move to kiss him.

Nodding slightly, he kisses me senseless as he rinses soap from my body. Ghosting down my skin he kisses his way to his target, and I'm certain I feel his fangs brushing my skin as he moves against me.

There's no real warning when he bites, clutching me against his chest comfortably as I feel a pleasant tingling radiating out from where he pulls. If I didn't know better it would seem like any other time when I feed Eric, but as a numbing starts to creep into my limbs, I know that this won't be the same. He pulls harder rather than slowing down when he normally would and I brush away the instinctual fight or flight response that creeps up for a second as I relinquish myself to him. Holding the bond close, I feel him monitoring me closely in the same way despite seeming to be getting a high from consuming so much of my blood.

My mind feels like a haze is creeping in from the edges, black coming into my vision I close my eyes and brush my love over the bond before feeling like I'm floating. Rationality leaves me as I feel as though I'm in the stage between asleep and awake although a sense of security doesn't leave me and I want to drift peacefully into the abyss below. My fingers brush it as I get closer, darkness all that I see ahead and I head into it before a warmth spreads through my body suddenly. The black turns to red, my vision consumed in crimson as I faintly hear someone in the distance encouraging me and I splash into an ocean of blood never to surface again.

Her heart beat slows considerably and were these normal circumstances I would be ripping myself away only to pour my blood down her throat to replenish her. I feel her tense for a second before she lets herself go to me as I don't stop drinking. A pleasant buzzing is in my thoughts as the fae elements of her leave me wanting more and I give into bloodthirsty hunger as I consume her further.

Her affections coming across the bond only encourage me further and I hold her a little closer, my hands tender but firm on her flesh as I don't allow her to move at all. I continue until the beats of her hollow sounding heart are several seconds apart, growing continuously slower as I wash my tongue over the damage I leave behind and pull back enough to look at her face. She looks pale as she's flickering in the bond, there but almost gone and by sheer force of will I hold her in place mentally as I destroy the flesh of my wrist.

Her mouth is slack until I feel the response from her as she pulls lightly, my blood triggering the instinct as well as my attention to the bond as I rub against her silent mind. The more that enters her the deeper she drinks, pulling strongly after several seconds and I lay several kisses to her temple as I curl over her protectively. "My Sookie." I whisper unwittingly into her ear and I'm surprised when it seems like there is a response, her side of the bond flaring up but dying back down as she seems to have heard me. "You are safe, and you are mine, forever." Reassuring her, she doesn't respond this time and I hold her carefully as I will my wrist to start to heal long after she's drank enough.


End file.
